There are numerous stories of Michael Jordan’s antics both on and off the floor, each more mesmerizing than the last, yet fans rarely get to hear about MJ’s initial days in the league. Well, former Chicago Bulls player Gene Banks made an appearance on a podcast three years ago, revealing what Jordan was like during his rookie years in the league.
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Gene banks made an appearance on Earfluence back in 2020. While on the podcast, Banks revealed what it was like playing with him. “It was phenomenal. I played with him for two and a half years. The great thing about it was, he was, as far a player, he was like a machine.”
“He would come in, he would never cross the line before practice. He would chew his gum and talk but once he crossed that line, he was a maniac. He loved to practice, he came at you in practice. We took him out, we physically beat the hell out of him and he took it.”
Gene Banks played with the Chicago Bulls from 1985 to 1987, having the chance to be alongside Michael Jordan during his first few years in the league. Being a veteran already at the time, Banks and the rest of the players gave MJ a physical beating during practice. The fact that Jordan was able to take it day after day without taking anything to heart is downright astonishing. Among other things, this aspect of him was arguably the biggest testament to his competitive drive and need to get better day after day.
Despite taking all that pain and hurt in practice, it finally paid off for Jordan. Especially when the Chicago Bulls faced off teams like the Detroit Pistons or the New York Knicks coached by Pat Riley. These teams were known to be extra physical while on the court. Whereas, the Pistons were wildly infamous for having ‘Jordan Rules’ only in the hopes of slowing down Michael Jordan on the floor.
How Michael Jordan’s competitiveness translated into his life
Michael Jordan’s need to win is something most die-hard fans are aware of. Even Gene Banks revealed how MJ would lock the doors if he even lost a game of cards or ping-pong, only to get even and win before long.
In Michael Jordan’s documentary, The Last Dance, MJ himself revealed how hard he went on to push his teammates in the latter half of his career. Having no concern about how his teammates felt, Jordan always expected the maximum effort from them, given he gave it his all on the floor every time he played the game.
If there was anything Michael Jordan gave importance to, it was team practices. The work ethic MJ had was extraordinary. Even in his documentary, he never missed any team practices and had the habit of pushing his teammates, even to the brink at times.
Here you could see Jordan breaking down how he’d practice as if he were in a game. Due to him putting in the work, MJ never had any fear about his skills simply because he had been practicing for big moments and clutch situations over the years.
But as Gene Banks said, Michael Jordan gave it his all in practice and not just during matchups as well.
